


I Need a Hero

by Angelbaby76



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brainwashing, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Minor Injuries, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Super Soldier Serum, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24310471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelbaby76/pseuds/Angelbaby76
Summary: She thought she found the perfect man. The only problem? He’s Captain America, but no matter how hard she tries to avoid him, her life depends on Steve as she’s violently thrown into the services of “Earth’s Mightiest Hero's."***Disclaimer. I do not own Marvel or the Avengers. The plot, and OFC are my own creation. I do not own the rights to any photos I may use***
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. Holding Out For a Hero

[Holding Out For a Hero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odGRRVUAg_Y)


	2. Chapter One

_**June 20, 2012, New York, City** _

It was raining the afternoon of that fateful day in the middle of June, and had this been any indication to Clara’s day, she would have just packed up and left, but instead, she sat on a black office chair, bored out of her mind. With a sigh, her green eyes slid to the small clock that was placed on her desk, surrounded by pictures of her family and friends.

Clara McIntyre had just turned thirty-two,and she was no where she wanted to be in life. In the perfect life she dreamed for herself, she already had the white picket fence, the two kids, and a mortgage. But no, this dead-end, crappy paying job, was her reality.

And the clock taunted her.

The hands seemed to move too slowly along the white face, sighing as she watched it.

Her chin was braced with her palms, her elbows supported them on the desk, and her mind was off on some day dream.

“Hey, wanna sneak away for an early lunch? The head honchos are in some kind of meeting for hours.”

She looked at the computer screen and the mindless data entry that waited for her, then outside. She’d rather sit out there than fry her brain any longer.

“I’m in.” Clara smiled at her friend, and co-worker, Lucy, then grabbed her lighter and Clara McIntyre had just turned thirty-two,and she was no where she wanted to be in life. Instead of a white picket fence, two kids, and a mortgage, but instead, she was stuck in this dead end job.a pack of smokes out of her purse.

When she first got the job for Stark Industries, Lucy had been the first person she met, and the two instantly clicked. They were complete opposites, Lucy was brash, didn’t hold back on her opinions, and Clara was shy, reserved, and not one to take chances. Clara liked to play it safe, even when it came to relationships.

The two friends left the noisy office building, and when Clara stepped out and saw the sun peaking out from the dark clouds, she felt a renewed sense of energy. Maybe this day wouldn’t suck.

“Oh good!” Lucy smiled as she walked out of the glass double doors, to see the rain had stopped. “Maybe the deli will have seats outside, we can watch the hot business men walk by.”

“Or you just wanna catch someone’s eye.” Clara winked at her friend as they stepped inside the deli, and it was packed with patrons fresh on their lunch hour. It was no secret about Lucy’s crush on the company’s owner. Mr. Tony Stark was all her friend could talk about.

“Come on. You can’t tell me how hot he is. Plus, I heard he’s available.” Lucy sighed as they walked out onto the patio, that was placed near the sidewalk. They chose a table near the railing that overlooked the sidewalk. “Would be nice.”

“I would love a sugar daddy.” Clara sighed as she placed her feet on the glass table, and sighed, letting the warm sun energize her. “Anything to get out of this crummy job.”

“Didn’t go good with Mr. Lawyer, huh?”

“Well, he turned into a big fat jerk.” Clara sighed as she flicked the lighter, lighting the end of her cigarette. “Story of my life. Guy seems like a winner. Asks me out, buys me an expensive dinner, and expects a blow job.”

  
“You keep dating jerks fro me the office, you need to branch out a little.” Lacey winked over at her sister. “I have a friend who knows this guy. She says he’s a nice guy.”

“Code word, a dog.” Clara sighed and took another drag off her cigarette and sighed. “There are no such thing as good men. They all want one thing. And they’ll bullshit ya until they get what they want.”

“It’ll happen Clara. Lucy gave her friend a reassuring look. “He’s out there.”

“Yeah,” Clara snorted. “And he’ll come riding in on his white horse, and sweep me off my feet.”

Clara was about to take another drag, when the ground beneath them began to shake violently and she screamed as she was pitched to the floor, and she cradled her head as debris rained down on her, feeling glass bite into her arms.

What seemed like hours, the shaking stopped and she raised her head to see the ash falling down on them. She raised her head to see that Lucy was sitting up a few feet away from her, her dark hair white with ash.

“Lucy!” Clara pushed herself off the sidewalk, and she winced as she felt the twinge in her ankle. She was about to reach Lucy when an explosion sent her flying backwards, and with a painful thud, she landed on her back. She coughed as the ash swirled around her. She went to get back up, but screamed as pain zipped along her leg, so she looked down to see a large piece of concrete on her thigh. She tried to move it, but after a minute, she fell onto her back and instead of herself looking up at the ceiling, she was looking at thick, dark clouds.

“Oh my god Clara!” Lucy appeared at her side, and with horror in her blue eyes, she saw the slab on her friends right leg. She took her hands and began to push on the concrete, but it was too heavy. Lucy looked up as she heard the ruined building creaking and groaning. “I’m gonna find help.”

Lucy got to her feet, and ran over broken glass, and concrete rubble, and into the street where there was chaos. People were running past her, and she tried to flag them down, but they just pushed past them.

She ran up the stream of people, amazed at how many didn't care that there were injured and dead all around them, all they cared about, was saving them selves. she turned a corner, she stopped. Just a few feet from her, locked in a battle with some kind of metal man, was a man dressed in a dark blue uniform. She watched sat the man tossed a shield towards the metal humanoid figure, and it exploded into a shower of sparks.

“Please, help me.” She ran up to him, terror on her face. “My friend-please. She’s trapped and I think the building is about to come down. “Please.” She took a blood and ash covered hand and placed it on his upper arm. “Please.”

He slid the shield into the carrier on his back and turned to look at Lucy. Except for his eyes and mouth, his face was covered in a mask. He looked behind him for a second, then at Lucy.

“Please,” Lucy pleaded, “no one else will help me.”

Lucy could see the conflict in those blue eyes, and she silently pleaded him to help her. “She’ll die if you don’t help me.”

Precious seconds rocked by as he looked at her, then he face her a slight nod, then reached his hand up to his head. “I’m helping a civilian that’s trapped Romanoff.”

“Thank you, this way!”

Lucy led him back to the cafe, and after climbing over the rubble, she found Clara still lying under the slab, but she could see the dark stain spreading along the ash covered ground. “Hey.” Lucy fell to her knees and took Clara’s hand in hers, and cried in relief as she watched her friend’s eyes flutter open. “I’ve got someone to help.” She looked up as she heard the groan from the support beams above her, and an explosion rocked again outside, sending bits of ash onto them.

Clara felt Lucy holding her hand, and she tried to concentrate on her friend’s voice, but she was slipping further and further into unconsciousness.

“M’am, can you hear me?”

Clara opened her eyes again and found herself staring into a face covered with a mask. “Y-yes.” She breathed as she felt the throbbing pain in her leg. “My leg-“

“This is gonna hurt, I’m not gonna lie. Okay? But we need to get you out of here. This building is about to come down.”

His soothing voice, calmed her, so she nodded, and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the pain she knew was about to come.

Lucy was about to help her friend’s rescuer, when to her astonishment, with a heave, he easily lifted the slab off her friend. She was quickly spurned into action when the ear piercing screams of her friend Came next.

“We have to go!” He turned to Lucy, then reached down and picked Clara up off the floor.

The pain zipped through her leg and it made her dizzy and sick to her stomach. With all the strength she could summon, she looked up at the man who was carrying her outside. “Thank you.”

He looked down at her and Clara caught her breath as she found herself looking into a pair of turquoise colored eyes. “All in a days work m’am.”

Clara closed her eyes as she was carried over to a medical staging area and she was gently placed on a stretcher. She wanted to watch him leave, but when the EMTs began to splint her leg, the pain was too great for her to remain awake, and she slipped under the waves of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter Two

**One Year Later**  
  
Clara had awoken four days after the attacks on New York, to find her life forever changed. When she opened her eyes and found herself in the hospital room surrounded with flowers, cards, and balloons, her father had been at her side. From the tears in his eyes, she knew the news was not good.  
  
Aside from the fact she had a massive break in her leg that had required an extensive surgery, Clara also found out, that her mother had been among the thousands killed. She has been evacuated and was killed once an accident when her car was crushed by an alien ship.  
  
Congressman Thomas Ian McIntyre, grieved for his wife of almost thirty-seven years, and each passing day, that grief turned into hatred. He was angry with Tony Stark and his Avengers for bringing destruction and death to his city, and it didn't matter that his only daughter was laid up in the hospital, injured, but alive. All Thomas cared about was his upcoming election. And the fact that half the city was against the Avengers, gave him just cause to stir up trouble.  
  
So when it came time for Clara to be discharged, she didn't bother to call her father, instead, she called Lucy. All she wanted to do was get away from her father's anger, and try to get on with her life the best she could.  
  
Now, a few weeks shy of the anniversary, Clara was settling in as best as she could. She quit her job at _Stark Industries_ , and enrolled in a nursing program. With what she saved during her job, and the money from her mother’s life insurance,, she bought a nice apartment in the middle of Brooklyn. And because of her estrangement with her father, it was only natural to have Lucy move in with her.  
  
But no matter how hard she tried, her life was never the same. At night, her dreams were plagued of her accident, and the man with the piercing blue eyes.  
  
 _Captain America_  
  
While recuperating in the hospital, she watched the aftermath’s on the news station, and how the City was cheering for these new heros. She heard the nasty backlash they got and she wanted to find them, and thank them, and show them that they did make a difference. 

After the accident, she wanted to find out more about him, but seeing all the destruction on the news, was something she couldn’t face.  
  
It was two weeks until the anniversary, and the City was busy with the prepertaions to honor the Heros' that saved the city, and Clara knew her father was seething with his hatred. As the date crept closer, she received several messages from Thomas, spewing his poision at her, telling her that she was a black mark in the McIntyre family, and for her being on _their_ sides, it made him look bad.  
  
Which wasn't new to Clara. All her life she grew up only known as the Congressman's daughters. Teachers and students alike kissed her ass, all because of who she was. She was tired of trying to live up to his expectations, and despite how much he tried to persuade her, she would never, ever follow in his footsteps.  
  
As she stepped out into the world on a July afternoon, the sun was warm and hot, and she took a moment to stand on the sidewalk, tilt her face upwards, close her eyes, and let the warmth energize her. She didn't care if people cursed at her as she stood there. They didn't have to go through a years worth of pain as she did therapy three times a week, and how much pain she was in each and every morning. They didn't have to live with the jagged scar on her leg, or the nightmares she had each night. And they didn’t have to face the embarrassment and shame whenever she brought home a date and they saw the scar on her leg.  
  
So screw them.  
  
She took a few minutes, then stepped up to the curb and lifted her arm up to hail a cab. When she got inside the cab, she instructed the driver where to take her, and as the cab took her into the heart of the city, she could see the rebuild that was being funded by Tony Stark.  
  
It had been months since she last visited her mother’s grave,but as the cab dropped her off at the front entrance, she followed the concrete path.  
  
Near a row of cherry trees, was a marble headstone and she noticed placed along it, was a fresh vases of flowers.  
  
She stopped in front of the headstone, then slowly walked up to it and placed her hand on the granite, and read the name etched in silver.  
  
 _Diane Marie McIntyre, b. August 25th, 1960, d. June 20th, 2012_  
  
Only two people in this world loved her for who she was, and one of them was six feet under.  
  
After spending a few minutes more, Clara took a cab home, grabbing some take out and a case of beer.  
  
Clara’s apartment was located in the heart of Brooklyn in a street that was lined with trees every twenty feet. Her home was between two others, and only consisted of an apartment for the land lord on the bottom story, and her apartment was located on the top floor. Her only neighbor was an old lady, who pretty much kept to herself and her four cats.  
  
With a sigh, she trudged up the three flights of stairs, wishing the damn elevator was fixed, this was murdsr on her leg.When she opened the door to the floor where her apartment was located, she could hear big band music.  
  
She noticed moving boxes near a half open door, and as she got closer, she realized this was where the music was coming from.  
  
“H...hello?” She called as she knocked on the door with her knuckle. She pushed open the door a little further to see a man unpacking a box, and she was transfixed by the way the muscles bulged and flexed. “Hi, um, you door was open?” She looked around the room, making sure it was just him.  
  
  
  
When he looked up from the box, Clara was in awe at how blue his eyes were. He slid her a smile as he stood up from the floor, extending his hand, and she could clearly see how huge he was, his frame seemed to tower over her. But she nothing but kindness in those eyes.“Hey, you must be my new neighbor.”  
  
“Hey, Clara, 3B, just across the hall.”  
  
“Nice to meet you Clara 3B. Steve.”He winked at her. Then he motioned towards a record player. “Not too loud is it?”  
  
“No.” She smiled at him, transfixed by those eyes and the way that smile rugged up on side of his mouth, showing off a set of dimples. “I ya need anything, I’m across the hall.”  
  
“You bet.” He kept the smile on his face as he put his hands on his hips.  
  
“I should get going. Nice meeting you.”  
  
Clara closed the door behind her, and she paused for a moment, thinking back to her new neighbors eyes, and why they seemed so familiar to her. She paused for a moment, putting a hand to her heart, feeling it racing under her fingers.  
  
As quickly as it had surfaced, Clara pushed the emotion down, opened her door, and shut it closed.


	4. Chapter Three

Clara had been distracted ever since seeing her neighbor, a smile crept to her face as she memorized that chest in her mind, every delisious bulge of muscle on full display thanks to that very tight fitting shirt. And the way he smiled at her. His perfect white teeth, those beautiful blue eyes, and the way they crinkled up when he smiled, she believed it was truly genuine. Something about him seemed so familiar.

She leaned against the front door, her hand on her chest, feeling it jammed against her ribs. It couldn’t be him

“Gonna stay there all night? Or come join me for some wine?”

Clara was shook out of her thoughts as she heard the voice coming from the couch, to see her best friend sitting on the couch, and a glass of wine in her hand. “What’s the occasion?” Clara smiled as she walked to the living room, took the bottle of wine and a glass from the table and poured a healthy amount, and sat down next to her friend.

“My new job. You are looking at the new public relations manager for Stark Industries. I’m working directly under Mr. Iron Man himself.”

Clara looked at her friend, and she blinked a few rimes. “You What?” Clara placed the wine glass on the coffee table. “Why You didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know.” Lucy sighed as she took a thoughtful sip of her wine. “I wasnt Sure I’d even get it. I mean I have no real expierencde.I guess he likes my moxie.”

“Or your tits.”

Clara snorted and reached for her wine. “He invited me to a VIP party next week. I can bring a guest.”

Clara let out a sigh and leaned back into brown couch, and placed her head on the back cushion. "I don't know Luc...I mean my dad and all, me being there-"

"Fuck him." Lucy grumbled.

Clara sighed and got up from the couch and walked over to the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, and she noticed two white invitations inside an envelope with a seal on the front. She picked up the invitation, slid it out of the envelope and read what was on it. The party was for distinguished guests only. A night of dancing, music, drinks, and rubbing elbows with the Avengers. And that meant, if she did go, rubbing elbows with the one man she wanted to see. Her neighbor. .

➖➖➖

Fast rapid punches, and hard heavy breathing echoed through the empty gym. His hair was plastered to his head, the white tee-shirt was drenched with his sweat, showing off the outline of a tight hard, body. Steve was punching away his anger, his frustration, the constant guilt and turmoil, and most of all, his heartache.

Seeing Peggy as sick as she was, drove home the fact that she was dying. And sitting near her bed and seeing the pictures of her family, drove home the fact that she had moved on, and so should he. But women these days were intimidating, they were bolder and aggressive. They may be beautiful, but the girls these days bored him. He wanted intellect. Being Captain America gave him so many options, but he just wasn’t interested. With a frustrated growl, Steve punched the bag hard, where it flew across the room, and on top of a dozen other bags.

➖➖➖

A tired sigh escaped Steve, and he reached into the pocket of his dark blue jacket, and took out his keys, looping them through his fingers. Another disastrous date. He had to tell Romanoff not to set him up anymore. From the moment he picked this woman up, she was all over him. And it was evident, she was on a date with Captain America, and not Steve Rogers.

Before heading upstairs, he stopped at the mailbox, grabbed the letters inside, and walked up the flight of stairs. When he pushed open the double glass doors that led to his floor, he saw the door of the corner apartment open, and his neighbor stepped out of the door, cradling a laundry basket in one hand, and a cell phone nestled between her cheek and shoulder as she proceeded to lock her door.

Her attention was on the door, that Steve got to get the first really good look at her.

She was petite, he had to guess only five foot four, flaxen colored hair that was swept up into a high pony tail, letting him see her long neck. Her frame was petite, but curvy in all the right places, and he was loving how those jogging shorts hugged a heart-shaped ass.

“Lucy, I don’t know, I’ll think about it, okay?” She then must have heard him, so she glanced up to see Steve, and she gave him a smile. With his keys looped around his finger, he gave her a small wave. “I’m tired-no-I’ve had a long day-someother time.” She watched as Steve walked to his apartment, and begin to unlock his door. “My roommate. Party animal.”

“Yeah.” He smiled at her as she placed her keys onto a laundry basket that was filled with clothes and a large book. As she shifted the basket, his eyes skimmed down her legs, and noticed on her right thigh. She must have had a terrible accident, because there was an indention where the muscle was gone, and it ran the length of her thigh, all the way to her knee. He must have noticed he was looking, because she quickly placed the basket over it. “Hey, if you want...if you want..you’re welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement.”

“Oh really?” She titled her head to look at him, a curious look on her face. “What’s it cost?”

“A cup of coffee.” Steve felt his heart pound in his chest as he watched her face scrunch in confusion.

“Oh-uh,” she looked into her basket to see the textbook and the clothes, then back up at him. “I have this test I have to study for, so I was gonna do that-“

“Oh yeah, some other time then?”

Clara snagged her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at her neighbor, seeing his profile as he went to unlock his door. It was him. She was sure of it. “I would love the company,” she smiled as she took the book out of the laundry basket. “Might keep me awake. Microbiology, fastinating read.”

Steve felt the smile come onto his face, and he ducked his head and chuckled. “Give me a few? Meet you downstairs?” “Yeah, see you there." Steve kept his hand on the doorknob as he watched her walk down the hallway to the door, and noticed a slight limp. He let out a sigh, then opened his door, and quickly changed his clothes. .

*****

“Oh my god,” Natahsa Romanoff collapsed on the mat, her red hair sweaty and plastered to her head, and placed an arm over her face. “I don’t think I can do anymore.”

She let out a groan, got up from the blue padded mat, and over to the bench where her gym bag sat, and looked over at Steve, who was staring across the room, a deep thought across his face.

Steve sat on the mat, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he looked across the room, not seeing the many posters tapped to the concrete, but instead, thinking to last night.

He had tossed and turned all night, his thoughts on Clara. They had spent hours down in that basement. While waiting for her clothes, Clara had talked to him all about her microbiology class, her green eyes lit up with her excitement. It had been all Greek to him, but Steve could listen to her all evening. It was a nice change from the usual conversations he had with his dates.

“How was your date with Lindsay?"

"Horrible." Steve sighed as he got up from the mat. He walked over to the bench and sat down, reached inisdie is gym bag and grabbed a white towel. "She was all over me from the minute I picked her up."

“That's good right?" Natasha blotted her face with her the towel."What's wrong? You have been distracted all morning."

“Well," Steve looked up at Natasha, "she wasn't on a date with "me". All she wanted to talk about was Captain America." Steve sighed and shook his head.

Natasha smiled as she next to Steve and patted his thigh. “We will keep trying.” She noticed the far away look on Steve’s eye. “Unless, you already have?”

“This neighbor. But it’s complicated.”

“What’s complicated? She likes you right?”

“I don’t know,” Steve shook his head, “I asked her out for coffee and she declined.”

“Try again.” Natasha notice him shake his head. “Why?”

“Because,” Steve pulled out his phone, slid through his phone until he came to a saved photo of a news clipping. “Of who she is.”

Natasha took the phone and sucked in her breath. “Congressman McIntyres daughter? Man he’s creating a huge mess for us. Does she feel the same?”

“No. She never brought it up. I have the feeling she knows who I am. But she never brought it up.”

“Because she fancies this,” Natasha pointed to his head,” and not this.” She then pointed to his muscular chest. “Want me to check her out? I can come over, meet her.”

Steve nodded and threw the towel into the gym bag, wondering if he did chase this, what can of worms would he be opening?


	5. Chapter Four

Mac's Diner was a run-down burger joint in the rough part of Brooklyn.The vinyl booths that were lined against the outside wall, were torn and cracked. The tables were covered with cheap, scratched laminate. The entire diner had a permanent odour of grease and sweat.

The man sat at one of the tables, a scowl on his face as he watched low life after low life come through, and he did his best to dress down, but with the Mercedes parked outside, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Outside the window, a dark blue SUV caught his eyes as it pulled into the parking stall. The man that got out was a younger, muscular man with long, dark hair and a scar that extended from his right eyebrow, down across his broad nose and ended on his cheek.

Thomas McIntyre was pleased.

The man looked around the grease trap, then his eyes met Thomas’s He slowly made his way through the diner, his large frame seemed to take up the entire diner.

“You McIntyre?” His tone was gruff.

“And you must be the Winter Solider.” Thomas asked, looking up at the giant of a man. If anyone could get the job done, it would be this man.

The man nodded as he sat down at the table, grabbed the upside down mug and motioned to the middle age waitress, perched by the bar, waiting for something to do. Thomas looked at her in disgust as he noticed her tits were starting to sag, creases along her mouth and eyes and her waist was thick.

The Solider looked at the man as he stirred his coffee. “So, you said you need someone followed?.”

Thomas slid the baseball cap lower over his eyes, and then Reached into the leather jacket and took out a tablet. “This bitch broke into my office last night and hacked into my computer. She downloaded some stuff of mine and I’d like it back.”

The Solider looked down at the table to see a video of a security camera. He watched as, just outside an office, the woman in question appeared, pushing a cleaning cart. Headphones were on her ears, and her head was bobbing to music only she could her. He watched as she paused at the door, and looked around the office, then up at the security camera, and Thomas reached over and pressed pause,the image on her face.

“The regular cleaning lady was found in a closet, tied up.”

No emotion was shown on the Solider’s face as he looked at the target. “What would you like done?”

“You get me back what she took. At all costs,” Thomas pounded the table with his finger. He noticed some patrons looking in their direction, so he leaned over the table, “you dispose of anyone who gets in the way. Everyone. If what she took gets out, I’m finished . Are we clear?” He could see the man’s jaw twitch a bit, and he sat back in the booth. “You do the job I ask you to do, are we clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Thomas stood up from the table, and reached for his wallet. He took a few bills out and threw them on the table. “On me. The Eggs Bendecit are to die for.”

The Solider looked down at the tablet, seeing the woman’s features, and something inside of him stirred a bit. He squeezed the metal hand, as his jaw twitched in anger.

He was a Solider. And Soldiers obey orders, no matter what.

➖➖

With the tip of her French manicured nail tip between her teeth, Clara stood in her strapless black bra and matching black lace panties, her hands on her hips, and staring at the blue comforter before her.

Her attention was on the mound of dresses, that were currently covering her bed. This is where she needed Lucy. Her friend was the fashionable one, and Clara had no clue what dress to wear.

She let out a sigh, and walked over to the bed, selecting strapless navy blue dress that flared out onto a mermaid style hem. One dress that she wasn’t entirely comfortable wearing, but it was the only one long enough to cover her scar.

Maybe this was a sign.

Clara took it off the hanger, unzipped the dress, then stepped into it, the blue silk fabric fit her like second skin. She took a look in the mirror, examining herself form every angle. Unlike her friend-who was tall and skinny- Clara had been cursed with curves. But Men seemed to love her tiny waist, big hips and large breasts.

She stuck a tip between her teeth, and with a grin on her face, the fleeting thought of what Steve liked on a woman crossed her mind.

She quickly fixed her hair and make-up, then walked to the land line phone that was placed on the end table. She was about to look up cab companies, when she heard the musical tones of her doorbell.

Clara grabbed a pair of strappy silver heels, and her black wrap around , then walked down the hall way to where the front door was located.

“Who-who is it?” Clara put her hand on the lock, the phone still in Her hand, just in case she had to call the police.

“Tony Stark’s driver, Ms. McIntyre,” Came a voice from the other side of the door, “Lucy asked me to come pick you up.”

“I bet she did,” Clara said under her breath. She slid back the lock, then opened the door to see a man in a black suit and tie. She studied him for a minute. "Can I see some ID please?"

"Mrs. McIntyre, is this really necessary?"

"Yes, it is." Clara put a hand on her hip. "ID please."

The man sighed as he reached into the inner pocket of the suit jacket, pulled out a billfold and flipped it open. "See?"

She made sure the door was shut, and followed the man downstairs, where a black SUV was waiting by the curb. After the driver opened the door, she slid into the backseat and watched the scenery as they drove towards the city, and to the high rise that was lit up in the night sky.

Fast, upbeat music greeted her as she madeher way through the party goers, wondering how many of these people were friends, or just here for the free food and drinks.

Which is just what she needed.

“Hey, glass of scotch please.” She smiled at the prettywoman with red hair who wastending the bar.

“Make that two, Romanoff.” Steve smiled at Natasha, who gave him a wink.

“You got it Cap.” She locked eyes with the blonde, then handed them their drinks, and left them to their privacy, winking at Steve as she passed him.

“You Came.”

“Wasn’t sure I should.” Clara turned her body so she could face the party goers. Since arriving, she heard the whispers as she walked by, wondering why the daughter of the man who wanted to see an end to Avengers, was here.

Steve watched her as she looked at the crowd, his eyes looking at her hair that was draped over her shoulder, the side clasped with a pin that glittered in the lights. She was truly breathtaking.

“Well, I’m glad you did.” Steve cleared his throat and took a sip of his drink. “Wanna go somewhere and talk?”

She turned to look at him and Steve felt his heart quicken. “Yeah, I think we should.”

“Okay, I have something to take care of, so I’ll meet you in ten.”

➖➖➖

Don’t look so bored.”

He had found her outside on the upper deck balacony, her back towards him, and the summer air gently blew her blonde hair. She was deep in thought, so she didn't hear him until he spoke, and she turned to face him, a smile on her face.

"It's so beautiful." She turned her head to look back at the night landscape before her, and the city lights that stretched far to the horizion. She waited till he stood next to her, his right arm braced on the railing and his body turne towards hers. "But, I'm sure, it must look a lot different to you."

"How long you known?"

"Since that night you moved in."

"How come you didn't say anything?"

"I don't know." Clara shrugged, then turned to look at him.

"You know, you could have told me you where the Congressman's daughter."

"And what would that prove?" She turned to him and he was shocked at the anger that was in her green eyes. "So you could kiss my ass like all the other people in this damn city."

"Hey," Steve held up his hand, not liking where this conversation was headed. "I'm sorry."

Clara paused, and turned back to the city, and shook her head. "Because. All my life, I've grown up with people who kissed my ass because of who I was. Friends, boyfriends, it didn't matter. So yeah, I met this guy, and for once, I wanted to be known as Clara, not the Congressman's daughter."

"Yeah," Steve let out a sigh as he turned his body to look at the landscape. He wanted to steer this conversation to a much happier one".Well, things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up."

"My Grandpa used to tell me stories about growing up. How nice everyone was, and how they woul go out of your way to help one another." She stopped as her hand went to her thigh. "But now-“

"That's what we're here for." Steve turned his face to see she was looking at him, and her face was so close to his. His eyes swept along her face, then to her full, red colored lips, then back to her eyes.

Clara felt her heart thudding in her chest as Steve looked at her, seeing the dark, thick lashes frame a pair of turquoise colored eyes. She shook her head and looked back at the city. "I'm not like my father. I don't think like he does."

"I know that Clara."

She looked back at him, her eyes sweeping his face, then locked onto his eyes. As if he was being pulled by magnates, Steve leaned in, titled his face to the right, and was just about to press his lips on hers, when he heard a clearing of a throat. He jumped apart from her and turned his head to see Natasha, standing by the door, a very awkward look on her face.

"Sorry, Cap, but uh, Stark wants all out there to do a publicity photos."

Steve bent his head, and sighed. "OK. Stay here, Okay?" He pushed off the railing and walked past Natasha and muttered. "You have horrible timing."

➖➖➖

With a loud sigh, Clara slammed the door to her apartment, not really caring if she was too loud. Old Ms Jenkins in 1B took off her hearing aide at night, and Steve was still at the party.

When Steve left, Clara stood here watching him leave, and felt a sense of panic over come her, so strong, she couldn’t breath. She walked back in the party, found Lucy and told her she was going home.

She switched on the lamp that was on her dressser, illuminating the room in a soft rosy hue. She tossed her heels on the floor, and with a loud sigh unzipped the dress. It was a gorgeous dress, but it fit so damn tight and Clara wasn’t really free to eat and she heard her stomach rumble.

She shimmed out of the dress, tossing it in the corner, then proceeded to take out the dozens of Bobby pins that had been placed throughout her hair. And after ten minutes of brushing, her hair was rid of the tangles. As she was grabbing a pair of black micro shorts and a tank top, she heard the far off throaty rumbles of a motorcycle.

She paused, her hand on the shorts when she heard the bike. She quickly got dressed and walked into the living room and began to pace the floor. She stopped when she heard his heavy footfalls walk down the hall, and she held her breath as they stopped in front of her door.

Would she answer if he knocked? And then what? They had almost kissed. And she scolded herself for even feeling this way, not after she promised herself not too.

After a minute, she heard him walk to his door, then the jangle of his keys as he unlocked his door, and with a soft thud, closed it.


	6. Chapter Five

She felt her heart sink as she heard his door shut. Standing in the living room, she stared at her door, waiting for the knock, but it never came.

With a sigh, Clara grabbed her laptop off the wooden coffee table, and headed to her bedroom, which was located down the short hallway. She closed her bedroom door, then with her laptop, she crawled under the covers and opened the computer up.

She placed the laptop on the comforter as she crossed her legs and bit her lower lip as the search engine popped up.

In the search engine she typed in _Steve Rogers_. She hit send and sat back as she read article after article on her neighbor, and after an hour, she slammed the lid closed. She placed It on the nightstand, then lay down in the bed.

Clara heard Lucy come home, and the soft knock on her door, but she feigned sleep. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, all she wanted to think about was Steve.

“Clara?” Came Lucy’s voice on the other end of the door. “Are you okay? Steve said you just left without telling him goodbye. Come on Clara.” She heard Lucy sigh. “We’ll talk in the morning. I’m so sorry I’ve been so busy. Let’s do breakfast okay? Goodnight Clare Bear.”

Clara turned over on her side away from the door, and closed her eyes, hoping to just sleep this all away.

After a few hours of tossing and turning, Clara pulled the sheets off of her, and was about to put her feet on the floor, when she heard in the living room. the musical notes of glass breaking.

She froze as she struggled to listen to anymore sounds, and she was about to chalk it up to her over active imagination, when she heard a scream come from the living.

“Clara!”

_Thump_

She quickly grabbed the phone off the night stand and went into the closet and slid inside, tucking her self behind her clothes. Her hands shook as she dialed 911, whispering to the dispatcher that someone was inside her apartment.

She put her hands over her ears as she heard the struggle from outside in the living room, then two loud pops, and the it was silent.

She gasped as she heard her bedroom door squeak open and then the footsteps. She opened her phone again and scrolled through the numbers and landed on Steve’s number.

She hit send and the phone rang, but before he could answer, the closet door was yanked open. Clara let out a scream as her leg was grabbed, and she was drug out of the closet and down the hallway. She tried to grab onto something, but the man was so much stronger than her. In the struggle, she had dropped her phone.

Clara was thrown to the ground as the man tackled her, the breath whooshed out of her lungs, and her head smacked painfully on the wooden floor. She was yanked over on her back and she kicked out with her feet. Her aim was off and she just grazed his arm. The man sat on her thighs, raised his hand back and slapped her. The hit was so hard, she felt her ears ring, stars exploded behind her eyes and she tasted blood.

She was looking into the face of a mad man. His entire face, except for his eyes, was covered in a black mask. The arm that was holding her throat was made of metal and she could feel his strength. She let out a whimper as he placed the muzzle of a hand gun to her forehead.

“Where is it?” He growled.

“I don’t know! Nooooo!” Clara screamed as he pressed the muzzle into her skin, and she could still feel the heat where it had been fired before. “Lucy!!!!”

“She can’t help you.” His eyes narrowed as he bent down to her face. “Where is it?

She felt his hand squeeze tighter against her throat, and she gasped as she struggled to breath, and in her panic, began to claw at the hand.

The metal arm began to pulse a dark blue, and Clara began to seize as electricity coursed through her body.

Then, her world turned black.

➖➖➖➖

His eyes slowly opened, and he lay there onto the top of his unmade bed, wondering what woke him. He had only fallen asleep just a few hours ago, his mind too busy to let him sleep.

Earlier, when he had walked onto the patio, and saw she was gone, he felt heartbroken. He was certain that if Romanoff hadn’t interrupted them, he would have kissed her.

Then, he heard a faraway sound. A scream, then a loud thump and when he heard the faint sounds of several pop! Pop, he was wide awake. He sprang off the bed, still clothed into that previous nights outfit, and he walked to the closet and took out his sheild. He slid his right hand into the brace, and gripped it, feeling the familiar weight.

The loud chirp of his phone ringing, made him look towards the nightstand where his phone was glwing green.

_Clara_.

“Clara!” He put the phone to his ear just as he heard her screaming. He threw the phone in the bed and ran out of his apartment to where Clara’s door was located.

He tried the handle, but it was locked, so he placed his sheild in front of him and backed up until he was against the wall, and with a growl, he ducked his head down and ran to the door, the sheild easily busting through it.

He rolled onto his back and was instantly to his feet and he noticed a man standing up from a body, his metal arm glinting in the dim lights. He raised his arm and pointed it at him and a blue spark shot through his fingers, and with a grunt he raised the sheild in front of him , and Steve was thrown backwards by the electricity, and crashed onto the wooden table, crushing it under his weight. With a groan, Steve rolled over into his side, trying to catch his breath.

With a groan, he pushed himself up from the floor and stood up on the ruined table, and took his first look at the carnage in the living room.

Glass was everywhere, from a ruined lamp, several photos and the entertainment center, which was now on the floor.

And lying next to the bar was Lucy. Steve let out a sigh as he saw the two bullet holes in her chest, and her sightless eyes were looking up at the ceiling. Steve knelt next to her, took his fingers and slowly closed her eyes.

He dipped his head, the snapped it back up when he realized there was another person in the hallway. With fear coursing through him, he fell to his knees as he saw Clara lying motionless.

He set his sheild next to him, and grabbed her face, seeing her features soften. “Clara.” He grabbed her cheek and gently shook her head. “Honey, come on.” He took his hand and smoothed back her hair, which caused her head to fall backwards. “No.” He whisphered as he cradled her to him, her arms slack at her side.

He heard the crunch of glass behind him, and while still holding Clara, he grabbed his sheild and turned to face his attacker

Iron man was standing before him, and he raised his hand to press a button, and the mask slid back. He raised his hand. “It’s okay”. He walked over to Steve and knelt down bedside then as Steve laid her on the floor. Tony slid the mask back down and his computer display showed before him. “J.A.R.V.I.S, scan for detectable life signs.”

“Scanning sir.” Came the voice in his ear. “Negative signs sir.”

“Dammit.” Tony sighed, closing his eyes. “Can you scan for fatal injuries?”

“Mild concussion, and heart failure due to a severe amount of electricity.”

“If we shock her, will it work?”

“Her Heart is damaged sir, it wouldn’t work for long.”

“We need just enough time to get her to the compound. Charge.” Tony placed his arm on Clara’s chest, and her body rose up off the floor as he shocked her.

Steve silently paced behind Tony , conflicted on what to do. He wanted to go after the person responsible for this, but he also wanted to stay with her.

Finally, after three long minutes, Tony scooped up Clara in his arms. “We got her back. But don’t know for how long.”

“Tony,” Steve followed him through the broken door, and down the steps. “What happened?”

They reached outside where they could hear the approaching sirens. “Get to the compound. Fury is there and he’s gonna fill us in.”

Steve put his hands in his short, sandy blonde hair as Tony held Clara to him as he shot up into the sky, and in a blur, disappeared.

“Hey, Cap. Wanna ride?”

Steve turned to see Natasha standing behind him, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “Yeah.”

He was numb as he walked to the armored SUV, and as the car drove off from the building, he couldn’t help but let the feeling of guilt wash over him.

He should have knocked on that door.


	7. Chapter Six

Her body felt like it was on fire.

That was the first sensation she had when she came out of the fog. Her entire body hurt, and she gasped at the pain as she tried to breathe. She started to panic as the images flashed in her mind

The man above her, that jagged scar on his cheek, and the metal hand around her throat.

She felt a hand softly touch hers, and with a groan, she turned her head, and slowly opened her eyes to see Steve sitting in a chair.

“Hey,” he slid her a smile. His eyes looked over her face, feeling anger as he saw the large bruise on her cheek.”We need to stop meeting like this.”

“W-where am I?” Clara groaned as the pain caused her to close her eyes.

“At the Compound medical facility. You’ve been out for a couple of days. Do you know what happened?” Steve searched her face, seeing the defeat, and fear in her eyes. When he saw that man above her, he saw red. It had taken him awhile to do so, but Steve figured out she had been the one he saved that day. He thought about her on occasion and if she did survive.

Clara slowly shook her head, then closed her eyes, and turned her head away from Steve to look out the window. “No.” Which was a lie, she rememberd every detail.

Steve had his hand on top of hers, so when he felt her pull her hand away, his heart broke. “Clara.”

She was looking through the window, and could see his reflection in the glass. “I don’t wanna talk about it Steve!” She snapped. A few seconds later, she saw him push the chair back from the bed, and lifted his tall figure out of the chair. “Please. Just go.” Her voice trailed off into a whisper, knowing she was hurting him.

Through the reflection of the glass, she could see him standing there, watching her. She was about to tell him to stay, when she watched him pull back the curtain and disappear sound it.

This was what she was famous for. Pushing people away.

****

So, I hope this okay. I made a list and Clint’s gonna go pick up some stuff at your place.” Natasha turned from the floor to ceiling glass wall to see Clara still standing in the doorway, holding her right arm that was currently in a swing.

“Yeah.” Clara said in a small voice and she slowly walked into the room, taking in the surroundings. It was a pretty large room with a king sized bed in the middle, and a gray dresser and television in the corner.

M

“I’m right next door. If you need anything.” Natasha watched as Clara walked to the window, and watched her expression change from sadness to a little smile on her lips. So, she walked to the window and stood next to Clara. On the lawn, with Sam was Steve, and they were chatting. “You know Steve’s not that bad of a guy. He’s really sweet.”

Clara turned to look at Natasha who was watching Steve. “That’s why we would never work.” She loooked back onto the lawn, feeling her heart twinge as she saw him. “We’re you guys like an item?”

“Long time ago.” Natasha folded her across her chest and loooked over at Clara. “What happened that day in New York? He beats himself over it.”

“Why? We meant nothing to you guys. Why us?” Clara knew her friend was dead. In the week she arrived, everytime Lucy was brought up, the subject was quickly changed. It was something she could feel. Something was being kept from her.

”New York was hard on all of us. But more so for Steve. He was heartbroken to hear of all the deaths.”

“But it wasn’t his fault.”

Natasha turned from the window and leaned against the wall that ran the length of the room. “He knows that. And we tell him that all the time. But he wanted to save more.”

Clara sucked in a breath as she looked at Natasha, then at Steve. “So he blamed himself?”

“Every damn day. But when he met you, I saw a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.” She gently patted Clara on the shoulder. “Give him a chance.”

Clara turned back to the window to see that Steve was alone and he was standing with his back to the window, and glancing at the setting sun as it lowered over the trees.

*****

Thanks to Clint, Clara settled into her quarters as best as she could, but she was missing her home. Everyone was so nice, and did their best to welcome her, but this was their world, not hers.

Since rejecting his advances in the medical ward, Steve pretty much stayed away and with the size of the compound, it was easy to stay out of sight. She wanted to explain to him why she was being this way. That he didn’t deserve her.

She had been cheated, lied to, and betrayed by men, so she didn’t know how to respond to kindness. She saw the care for her in Steve’s eyes, but she just couldn’t understand why he liked her so much.

What the hell was so special about her?

“Clara?”

Clara looked up from a book she was glancing though to see Natasha standing in the doorway. Since coming to the compound, the red head pretty much took Clara under wing, almost sisterly in fashion. “Hey.”

“Tony wants to see you in the conference room. You okay?”

Clara nodded and shut the book, and cradled the sling with her left hand. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She wanted to ask Natasha if She’d seen Steve, and if he was okay, but the words failed her.

She got up off the bed, following the woman down a long corridor, and Clara was silent as they rode the glass elevator to the fourth floor, and stepped off into a long hallway. Clara felt her heart pounding in her chest as she stepped into the conference room and saw him in the corner.

He was sitting at the table, his elbow resting on the chair, and his face resting in his palms, his fingers along his cheek. When he heard the door click open, he looked up from the table and locked his blue-green eyes on hers. Seeing the hurt all across his face, she wondered if she just blew the first chance at a really nice guy.

“Clara,” Tony cleared his throat as she slowly sat across form Steve, but not looking at him. She could feel him staring at her. “Can you please tell us what happened?”

Clara sucked in a breath as she looked down at her casted arm in the sling. She took a moment to compose herself. She closed her eyes tight, trying to get the image of the man above her out of her head. And the pure evil in those eyes.

“I don’t know-just him breaking in.” She kept her eyes on her fingers, and the chip in the red polish. She seriously was in need of a manicure. It was silent in the conference room, and even though she didn’t raise her head, she could sense Steve was still looking at her.

“Did they say what they wanted?” Natasha asked. She looked over to seeSteve looking at Clara, a dozen ranges of emotions all over his face. He may have been Captain America, Super Solider, but when it came to Clara, he was a big softie.

Clara swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes. “Right before Steve came-.” She paused and opened her eyes and locked his gaze. “He kept asking where it was.”

Tony and Steve shared a look, then he cleared his throat. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

“No.” She looked at Tony and Natasha. I-I don’t remember anymore.” Which was a bold face lie. Up until that bastard shocked her, she remembered every single detail. The way his long, brown hair grazed her face, the way his cold, emotionless eyes looked at her, and the feeling of him pressed against her as she struggled with him in that hallway. And she remembered the feeling ofthe hot metal pressed against her forehead, knowing the same gun that killed her friend, would kill her too.. “Can I go Please?”

Natasha nodded at Tony, and with a wave of his hand Clara left the room, with Tony not too far behind her.

Steve pushed back from the chair and was about to leave the room, when Natasha stepped in front of him, placing a hand on his muscular chest, taking a moment to feel the bulge.

“Hey you can’t be giving up on her.”

Steve sighed and shifted on his feet. “Listen, Romanoff, she made it very clear that she wanted space, so, that’s what I’m doing.”

“Give her too much space and you’ll loose her. Ask her out.”

“I can’t ask her out.” Steve scratched the back of his head.

Natasha moved her hand from his chest, then to his upper arm. “Take a minute and be in her shoes. Up until a week ago, she was living a normal life, then this. We may be used to this, but she isn’t.”

Steve scrunched his fact her then looked at the doorway where Clara had just left from, and let out a sigh. He turned from Romanoff and headed to the one place that helped him think. The gym.

———

I have to get out of here!

She was calm when she walked out of that conference room, and when she was on the elevator, but the moment she shut the door to her living quarters, she broke apart.

With heaving sobs, she found a suitcase in the bottom of the bedroom closet, and she quickly found all her clothes into the red case, and stufffed them inside, not caring to fold them. She had to act fast.

”JARVIS?” Clara looked up at the ceiling, always feeling silly talking to herself.

”Yes, MS. Clara?” Came the AI voice over the speakers.

“Can you call me a car please?”

”Yes, Ms. Clara. Departing us so soon?”

”Yes,” Clara walked over to the bed and grabbed the suitcase. “Please don’t tell anyone I left please.”

Twenty minutes later, Clara paced outside, impatiently waiting for the car. She was about to just call a taxi, when she noticed headlights swing into the circular drive, then a shiny black SUV pulled to the curb.

As the aromered car moved through the city, Clara sat in the backseat, her heart pounding in her chest, just wanting to get as far away from the Avengers as she could. As the car stopped at a light, she noticed a motorcycle pull up beside them, and she noticed the driver was wearing all black, and then she noticed one of the hands that were holding onto the handlebars, was made of metal.

She saw the man look over at the car, and she could see his face-except for his eyes, were covered in a mask, his long hair in his eyes. Then, she noticed that he reached into the backpack he was carrying, and take out a small, round silver object that was lit up red.

“Go! Now!” Clara screamed as she pounded on the thick portion that separated the back from the front.

The driver looked over to see the man on the cycle, so while the light was still red, he slammed on the accelerator and the tires peeled out on the pavement as the SUV took off from the light.

Clara screamed as the car went through the busy intersection, cars honking at them, and she closed her eyes waiting for an impact.

When it safely made it through, Clara looked behind her to see the man on the bike was gone. She was about to breath a sigh of relief, when an explosion rocked the SUV, sending the huge car’s backend up, where it stood on its nose for a second, then crashed on its roof, the back tires still spinning.

Clara let out a groan as she slowly opened her eyes, smoke stinging her eyes, and she felt something running down the side of her face, so she took a finger, placed it on her forehead and pulled it back to see blood.

“Mobile base,” the driver groaned as he pushed the walkie talkie, and he was hanging upside down, “under attack-i repeat we are under att-.” He was silenced as a bullet hole came through the windshield and through his chest.

Clara let out a scream as she tried to move from the car, but her right ankle was pinned under the seat. She heard the crunch of glass, so she looked to see a pair of black boots coming towards the window. A metal prosthetic arm reached in and grabbed her wrist, but Clara fought back. She heard several more pops, and with a sinking feeling, realized he had dispatched the support vechile behind them.

With strength that surprised Clara, he reached in, grabbed her by the throat and began to pull her from the car, but she began to kick and scream, hoping someone would help her.

“No!” Clara moved out as the man grabbed her tightly around the waist and began dragging her to an armored black van.

The back doors opened and she planted her feet on the pavement, pulling against the man with the metal arm. He grew tired of her struggling, so he hit her across the head, instantly knocking her out cold

With a huff, the Solider reached down and picked Clara up off the ground, then tossed her in the back of the van, slamming the door behind him.


	8. Chapter Seven

_Drip! Drip_  
  
Clara opened her eyes to hear the far-off dripping of water, to find in a heart-stopping few seconds that she was blind. Then she realized she could feel a cloth over her eyes, so she went to remove it, but her hands were chained to a chair she was sitting on.  
  
Suddenly, the cloth was yanked off her face, and she blinked against the intrusive light that was shinning in her face, behind the shadows she could see movement. When they finally came into view, she let out a gasp.

  
“Hello, darlin’,” Luke Callaghan, her fathers lawyer, stared at her with dark eyes that were cold and full of malice, and as he walked closer, Clara frantically began to pull on the chains on her wrists. “Not pleased to see me?”  
  
“Fuck you, you are gonna have a world of hurt rain down on you.”  
  
“Oh, Clara,” he clucked his tongue as he walked into the light, “your father was right about you, you have bad manners.” He reached down, grabbed her hair and yanked her head up so she was looking at him. She grabbed the back of his hands with hers, and glared at him. “You will learn your place.” He leaned down, and Clara spat right in his face. Luke leaned back, felt the spit on his cheek, then raised his hand and slapped her hard. “Listen you little bitch.” He grabbed her face, and forced her to look at him, blood tricking form the corner of her mouth. He pointed to the Solider who was standing in the corner, watching them, no emotion on his face-except for a tiny twitch of his finger. “Give me what Lucy took or I will have him bring Rogers here and I’ll make him watch as he murders you.”  
  
“I don’t know where it is!” Clara said as she shifted her eyes over to the man standing in the corner, and she swore she saw his mouth twitch.  
  
“He’s Rogers best friend.” Luke smiled, “only fitting that he kills his woman.” He leaned into Clara, a wicked smile on his face. “You chose the wrong side sweetheart.” He raised his hand and with the back of his hand, slapped her hard. “Maybe he needs a little motivation to find me what I want.”  
  
“No, Clara whimpered as the blindfold was placed back over eyes. She flinched when she felt something cold and hard pressed to her temple.”  
  
“You have forty-eight hours to find me the formula for the serum Rogers, or I will make you watch as I put a bullet into her pretty little head.”  
  
/****/  
  
He punched the bag with all his might, sweat rolling down his back, but he didn’t care. He was afraid for Clara, wondering if she was okay. After the attack on the protection vechile, she was no where to be found.  
  
He heard his phone chirp, so he stopped punching and reached into his back pack to see he had a text from an unknown number. He held the lock screen down as he punched in his code, then tapped on the message to see a video.  
  
Instantly, he saw Clara sitting in the chair, blood coming from her nose, a blindfold over her eyes and a gun to her head.  
  
 _“You have forty-eight hours to find me the USB, and the formula,” Came a gruff voice, “or I will make you watch as I put a bullet into her pretty little head.”_  
  
“Steve?”  
  
Steve looked up to see Tony, and all the rage he had inside of him, Came tumbling out, and before Tony could stop him, Steve advanced on him

Tony stumbled backwards as the hit to the jaw surprised him, and he tumbled up against the wall. “Rogers! Stand down!”

Steve felt his jaw twitched, his hands balled up into a tight fist against his thighs. “What are you hiding, Stark!”

”Listen,” Tony raised his hands up, not liking the dangerous look in his eyes, “Fury is in the conference room-“

”Tell me!” Steve held up the phone where the video had paused on Clara sitting in the chair, and a gun to her head. “Her life depends on it.”

”Lucy was working for Fury. I didn’t know this until that night. She was working for me, but I didn’t know she was undercover. She was after a USB drive that held valuable information. I didn’t know it at the time, but she snooped around upstairs, She found out Thomas had it.”

”So why are they after Clara?”

”Because on this USB drive is plans for McIntyre to build his own “army.” Tony sighed in relief as Steve took a step back from him. “But what he doesn’t have, is the formula for the serum. Clara has it, she just doesn’t know it.”

”Where?”

”We don’t know, maybe her apartment-Steve wait!” He called out as he turned to walk away. “You can’t do this alone.”

Steve paused as he was about to walk through the door. He dipped his head, and then with a slight nod of his head, he agreed.


	9. Chapter Eight

The apartment building stood like a sentry in the night, half the lights were off, most of the residents tucked peacefully into their beds, not aware of the dangers that lurked just outside those brick walls.

Steve led the way as they climbed the stairs to the townhome that he once called home. He hadn’t been in here since Clara had been attacked. How could he when he had been just a door away.

If only he had knocked on her door. Would things be different? He couldn’t have stopped what was about to happen, but at least he could have protected her. When she needed him most, he had failed her. And that was something he’s carry with him.

Always.

As Steve stepped through the double glass doors, and onto their floor, he could see the yellow police tape still attached to the newly fixed door.

”Still under investigation.” Tony said from behind him. He pointed to a sign that was taped to the door and Steve noticed the _Stark Industry_ printed on the letter head.

Steve ripped off the tape, and turned the knob and the door swung wide open. He reached behind him, his fingers finding the metal, then he slid the sheild out of the carrier, holding it in front of him.

As they walked down the shortt hallway that led to the living room, glass crunched under his boots. The living room had been untouched since the night of the attack, glass from the entertainment center and countless photos littered the hardwood floor.

”Which ones her bedroom?”

Steve turned from the destruction that was the living room, to see an amused look on Starks face. “I don’t know.”

”Come on,” Tony snorted and looked around the apartment. His defense, when anything got close to vulernable, he resorted to humor. “Can’t tell me this is your first time in here? Such a grandpa.” Tony chucked and shook his head. “Check the bedrooms, I’ll check in here.”

Steve walked down the hallway to where the bedrooms were located. He stopped at the first door on the left, then noticed another door at the end of the hall. So, he decided on the second one.

As he opened the door, her smell hit him like a punch in the gut. The room had t been touched since that night, because her laptop lay broken on the floor, the comforter was on the floor and the mattress was hanging half way off the bed.

He walked over to the dresser and noticed a picture frame sitting near the mirror. He walked over to it, and noticed it was a picture of Clara standing next to a woman who looked to be in her early fifties. There was no question who this woman was, because she had Clara’s eyes and smile.

He went to put the photo back, but misjudged the edge of the dresser, and it fell, glass shattering on the hardwood floor. He squatted down to pick up the frame, and he noticed something glittering behind the photo. He brushed the glass to the side and noticed it was a small key. He picked it up and noticed the keychain, _First National Bank_

“Stark!” Steve yelled, “I think I got something!”

—————

Clara.”  
  
She let out a pain filled moan as she slowly lifted her head, feeling the ache along her body, her ribs screamed with each breath. Her head was throbbing and it felt as if her lip was split. She couldn’t see due to the blindfold, then it was slowly taken off, and she found herself staring into a strange pair of eyes, then she recognized the scar, and she tried to move away from him.  
  
“No,” she whimpered, “please-I don’t know anything.”  
  
“Hey, Hey, sssshhh,” He whispehered as she shrank from his touch.”Hey,” his voice was soft and soothing, nothing like before, “It’s okay, I’m gonna take you to him.” He reached down to her hands and ripped off the chains.  
  
“Steve,” Clara sobbed. Her pain and fright had her confused to where she was. She felt the man’s hands on her and she tried to move away, but she couldn’t.  
  
“Hey,” Bucky said a little more forecefully, “I will take you to him, but I need you to calm down.”  
  
Clara’s bottom lip trembled as she finally willed herself and looked into his eyes, seeing the softness, something she didn’t see before. Then she looked down to see the metal hand was on hers. “Okay.”  
  
“Can you walk?”  
  
Clara took a second to take note of her injuries. Her left ankle was throbbing, but as she slowly stood up, she found she could put weight on it. Her cheek was split open, her lips swollen, but nothing serious.  
  
“Yeah, I think so.”  
  
Bucky reached down and slid his arm along her waist, supporting her as they walked out of the concrete room and out into the hallway.  
  
“Just a few more feet,” he encouraged her as they walked down a long hall way to where a doorway was located. When they reached the door, he looked at her. “Stay here until I come get you.” He went to push open the door, but he felt her small hand grab his, so he turned to see the fear on her face. “It’s okay. I’ll be gone just a few minutes.”  
  
Clara reluctantly nodded as he pushed open the door and step out into the night, then the door closed behind him. She slid down the wall, tucked her knees into her chest, and wrapped her arms around them, folding herself into a tight ball. Outside, she could hear some kind of commotion, several rounds of automatic fire, then it was quiet.  
  
A minute later, the door squeeked open, and Clara shrank further into the shadows, holding her breath, the. Slowly let it out as she saw Bucky. She accepted his hand, slowly stood up, and sucked in a breath as she felt the stabbing pain in her chest. _Jerk_ _cracked my ribs_ she thought.  
  
Bucky supported her waist with his arm as they made their way out of-what appeared to be a warehouse-, he led her to a waiting Jeep Wrangler, the headlights illuminating the dead thugs lying on the ground.  
  
Bucky opened the passenger door, and being as gentle as he could, he picked her up and sat her on the cloth seats, and then shut the door. Clara was puzzled at his change in demnor, a night and day difference from the cold, robotic, Solider that kidnapped her.  
  
“Why are you doing this?” When Bucky slid into the driver’s seat, she finally broke her silence.  
  
He had his hand on the key, when she spoke, so he turned to look at her. “Rogers is one of my best friends.” He sighed back and leaned into the cloth seat. “It’s a long story, and I promise to tell you-but, before I got brainwashed,” he paused as he let out a long sigh, “I, Uh, was found by your father and he is the one who revived me. From the formula, that is missing.”  
  
“But-, earlier. Why did you change?”  
  
Bucky licked his lower lip, leaned forward then turned on the engine. “I knew Lucy.” He turned to look at Clara. “I loved her. Until she found out what I was. Seeing you there, what that bastard was doing to you, it snapped something inside of me.”  
  
Clara looked at him, her bottom lip trembling, then she looked straight ahead. “I’m tired of the lies, and I’m tired of the secrets. I want to know what I’the hell is going on.”  
  
“Okay,” Bucky shifted the car into drive, and looked at her. “Let’s find somewhere safe and I’ll tell you everything.”

————

**A/N: I am changing Bucky’s backstory so it fits the story**  
  
  
  
As Bucky drove them further away from the warehouse district and proceeded to drive north of the city, Clara slept. Bucky had provided her with some pain meds, and she was able to finally relax.  
  
A few hours later, she was woken up by a hand gently squeezing her shoulder, she raised her head up off the back of the seat,and as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she noticed that were at some out of the way motel.  
  
As he checked in, Clara leaned up against the pillar outside, and waited. She wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself, feeling the dull ache in her chest. But, she couldn’t take anything for it, not yet.  
  
Not when she needed answers.  
  
When she heard the bell ring, she saw Bucky walk out, the ball cap low over his eyes, and held up a set of keys and motioned for Clara to follow him.  
  
At the door of the room, Bucky held up his hand, and he opened the door first, then stepped inside, the gun trained out in front of him. When he was satisfied, he turned on the desk lamp, and a simple two-bed room was shown.  
  
He motioned for Clara to come inside, then he handed her a backpack. “Clothes and extras. I’ll order pizza.”  
  
Clara walked to the bathroom, opened the door, set the backpack on the floor, and locked the door. She sat the bag in the sink and unzipped it, and began to pull out some jeans, a large tee shirt, and a bag of toiletries. She was about to zip it back up, when she noticed something in the bottom.  
  
She reached inside and pulled it out, seeing it was a picture and she felt her heart jam in her chest. It was a picture of Lucy, her wild chestnut hair was in her face to some unseen wind, and her hand was in front of her mouth, and Clara could see a hint of a smile.  
  
  
She looked at the photo for a few more minutes, until she turned it over to see the neat penmanship that had been her friend’s. _To My dearest Bucky, I love you._  
  
She placed the picture back in the bag, and with a groan from the pipes, she turned on the water. While she waited for the water to warm, she gently took off her tank top, sucking in her breath as she felt her ribs scream in protest.  
  
She turned away from the mirror, turned her head and grimaced as she saw the massive boot print on the right side. She threw the tank top in the corner as well as the other clothing, and took a long, hot shower.  
  
When she opened the door, she saw Bucky on the spare bed a large pizza in the middle, along with plates, napkins and a large bottle of scotch.  
  
Bucky smiled at her as he held up the bottle. “Figure you’ll be needing this.” He looked at her still standing in the doorway, not moving. He had to earn her trust. “Okay. I’ll answer a question but then you’ll have to come over here and get some food.”  
  
Clara studied this man, wondering why on Earth he was being so kind to her-when just hours ago, he had tried to kill her.  
  
“You killed that driver and the ones in the support vechile. But why are you helping me?”  
  
Bucky looked at her. “When I died, I was brought to your grandfather. He had worked on the serum that they injected in Rogers and he passed that knowledge down to your mother. The scientist was killed so your grandfather was placed in hiding. I was injected, and I was revived. Four years ago, I was captured by Callaghan and they brainwashed me. I was under their control.” He paused as he looked at the bottle of scotch.   
  
“How do you known Lucy?”  
  
“This is where this comes in.” He held up the bottle, then gently shook it. “Trust me, you’re gonna need it.”  
  
Clara looked at him, then accepted the bottle he handed her. She twisted off the top, and took a long swallow, instantly feeling the buzz. “So? You and Lucy. Talk.”  
  
Bucky looked at the pizza on his lap, and took a moment how to tell Clara. “This was kept from you for your protection, Clara. Remember that.”  
  
She nodded as she felt the scotch churn in her stomach. “I’m tired of the lies.”  
  
Bucky nooded, grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. “A year and a half before Callaghan captured me, I worked for S.H.E.I.L.D.” He looked from the bottle to Clara. “And so did Lucy.”  
  
“I’m sorry, what?” Clara asked, not sure she heard correctly. “Are you telling me that Lucy was an agent?”  
  
“That day in New York? She was under cover. Your father and Callaghan took the information from your mother. I’m sorry Clara, but your father killed your mother.”  
  
Clara shook her head, then winced as she change positions. “More lies. What’s so important in that damn drive?”  
  
“On that drive is his plans to build his own super army. He wants an anti-Avengers squad. Tomorrow, he’s announcing to the public that the Avengers are now considered Vigilantes.” He leaned over and sat the bottle on the table. He then reached into the pocket of his jeans and took out a bottle and handed it to Clara. “Get some rest. I’ll contact Steve.”  
  
Clara slowly got off the bed, opened the bottle, took out teo blue pills and chased them down with a swig of scotch. As Bucky shut the door behind him, she took off her jeans and slid under the covers. She turned over to the half-open window where she saw Bucky on the phone. She watched him pace back and forth in the breezeway and her mind was swirling with all the information she had been given.

She wasn’t shocked that her father was behind this. He always made it very clear that his image was more important than her. And the fact he had her mother was killed by him, drove home the fact how evil he truly was.

Who the hell could she trust anymore?  
  
She didn’t think sleep would overcome her, but after a few minutes, she felt her eyes flutter closed. And before she allowed the pills to drag her under, she thought ofSteve. Was he worried? Was he doing everything to find her? She had to admit, she wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t. She’d been so awful to him. Finally, the pills took hold of her body, and her heavy eyelids closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.


	10. Chapter Nine

“That’s why they want her.” Steve tightened his fist and placed it against his thigh. He looked at the key in his hand and then at the photo lying near his feet, his eyes on the image of Clara. “I want answers.” Steve gritted his teeth as he stood face to face with Tony, both men staring each other down. “Why did they take her?”  
  
Tony sighed, and purses his lips together as he stared Steve down. “Alright. Clara’s mother Diane, came to my father. She was in fear of her life so she gave him the formula that her father came up with. That.” Tony pointed to the key, “is where Diane hid it.”  
  
Steve was about to reply, when he felt his phone vibrate, alerting him he had a text. He laid out his phone from his back pocket to see the message symbol. He slid his fingers across the lock screen and when it pulled up it was from an unknown number.  
  
 _I have Clara. She’s safe. Meet me at these coordinates and I will take her to you.Come alone._  
  
“Rogers. What is it?”  
  
Steve looked at the number, feeling his heart stop as a picture came through. He opened it to see Clara lying in a bed, on her left side, her hand tucked under her cheek.  
  
Steve looked up from the phone to see Stark was looking at him. Then he held up the picture so Tony could see it. “I have to go.” He turned to leave, but Tony called after him.  
  
“Let me come with you.”  
  
“No.” Steve didn’t turn around as he stopped in the doorway. “You’ve done enough.”  
  
/***/  
  
With JARVIS navigating him, Steve flew the Quinjet fifty miles form the Compound, landing just outside a little town in Nebraska . As he opened the hanger door, a warm breeze brought along the scent of rural farmland. He turned to his right to see a vintage motorcycle, and a small smile ghosted across his lips. He took the sheild from his back and placed it to the front of the bike.  
  
He started up the bike, drove down the ramp, then pressed a lever that closed the door, then sped off towards the coordinates he was given.  
  
Five miles later, he slowed the bike as he saw a pair of headlights shining a few hundred yards away. The headlights turned off, then turned back on, letting Steve know this was his contact.  
  
He parked the bike, grabbed the sheild off the front, looped it through his right hand, and slowly walked towards the vechile.  
  
When he was a few yards away, he heard a door squeek open, then a shadow pass in front of the headlights.  
  
“Who are you?” Steve asked as he stopped, unable to see but just a shadowy fiqure. He lowered his sheild as he saw the person step from the lights, and he instantly put it back up when he noticed the Winter Solider coming towards him. “Don’t come any closer.”  
  
“It’s me, Bucky.” He held up his hand as Steve held the sheild higher. “I’m the one who contacted you. I have Clara.”  
  
“How do I know it’s you?” Steve felt the emotions over take him as he looked at his best friend in front of him.  
  
“You’re a punk, Rogers if you don’t know it’s really me.”  
  
“Bucky?” Steve slid the sheild into the carrier on his back as he approached his life long friend, and hugged him tight. “How is his possible?”  
  
“Long story,” Bucky sighed as he pulled away, then motioned towards the passenger side of the Jeep. “I have something for you.”  
  
Bucky hung back as Steve rushed to the passenger side, yanked open the door, and saw Clara sitting in the front seat, her face towards him and her eyes closed.  
  
He cupped her face in his hands. “Clara!” He studied the bruises on her face, feeling the anger well up in him. “Clara, baby.” He leaned in and placed his lips softly on hers, feeling the spark as their lips touched, and his body flooded with so many emotions.He let out a sigh of relief as her eyes fluttered open, and the green pools started at him, out of focus.  
  
“Steve?” She whispehered.  
  
“Hey,” he said with a smile as she finally looked at him.  
  
“I wanna go home.”  
  
Steve reached in and scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to the bike. He wrapped her arms around his waist as Bucky got in the Jeep and followed him to the Quinjet.

———

Bucky watched from the door as Steve slowly placed Clara in the seat. He watched as Steve gently cupped her face into her hands and lightly kiss her, and he felt a pang in his heart.  
  
“Stay with her. I got this.” He winked at Steve as he made his way to the front of the jet.  
  
Clara watched as Bucky walked towards the cockpit, then looked into Steve’s eyes. “You trust him?”  
  
Steve nodded as he sat in the chair, then looked over at the cockpit, watching Bucky flip switches, starting the engines. “We go way back, him and I.” He paused as his jaw twitched. “We both grew up poor. I was a scrawny thing and Bucky, he protected me. My parents died when I was young, and were kinda all we had. Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.” He looked down as he felt her hand cover his.  
  
“Then I trust him.”  
  
He smiled and leaned in and gently kissed her, then gently pulled her into him. She sat sideways on his lap, feeling his strong arms hold her, and she lay her head on his chest. As he slowly rubbed his hand up and down her back, she told him al that Bucky had told her.  
  
When she finished, Steve was quiet so she looked up to see him smiling at her. She lifted herself up and looked at him. “What?”  
  
He shook his head and kissed her. “What are the odds?”  
  
/***/  
  
After giving her a dose of pain meds, Clara slept the whole way, and didn’t even wake up when Steve carried her through the Compound to where the medical ward was located.  
  
He stood behind the glass, looking in at her lying in the hospital bed, her eyes closed. He felt someone stand next to him, so he turned to see Bucky.  
  
  
He reached over and placed a hand on Buckys shoulder. “Thank you for bringing her to me.”  
  
Bucky nodded then looked at Clara. “She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”  
  
“Yeah. She’s pretty special.”  
  
Bucky swallowed hard as he kept his gaze on Clara. “I owe you answers.”  
  
“You don’t owe me anything.” Steve said as he looked at his friend.  
  
“But I do. When I died,and then revived, I wanted to tell you I was alive, but your were presumed dead. So, I turned myself to Stark and he made me an agent. Then I met Lucy. She had just been recruited and we pretty much hit it off. Then Callaghan captured me and turned me into the Winter Solider. When I took Clara, I killed those men.I killed her.” Bucky gritted his teeth. “They made me into a killer. I lost her. I don’t want the same to happen to you.”  
  
A clearing of a throat made Steve look behind him, and he saw Tony standing behind them. Tony slid a look to Bucky, then to Steve. “Conference room. Now. It’s-about Lucy.”

——-

Lucas Mark Callaghan had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Growing up, he never really questioned what his father did for a living, only enjoying the finer things in life.  
  
When he was just twenty-three years old, Lucas’s father and mother were murdered before his very eyes, and he found himself a billionaire.  
  
And the secret of what his father really did for a living.  
  
His father worked for HYDRA and when he heard of a rumor of a man being frozen in ice, and mysteriously woken up, he had to find him. The journey led him to the McIntyres. And so he had approached Thomas, and the two forged a very tight bond, both wanting revenge. So, Thomas hired him as a lawyer, and forcyears they plotted and planned. And the events in New York was the catalyst for it all.  
  
  
“You let that bitch go?”  
  
Luke turned from the window and looked at the man sitting in a chair, a smug look on his face, one that Luke wanted to punch off his face.  
  
  
“Do you think I got this far in life by being stupid, McIntyre. It was all part of my plan. See, I knew about the Winter Soliders past. I knew about his relationship with Lucy. I put him there and I made him watch as I beat the crap out of her, so he would snap and I was right.” He smiled as he walked over to his desk, opened the middle drawer, and took out a small black remote.  
  
“What is that?”  
  
Luke smiled as he lifted up the remote, turned it around in his hands, an evil smile on his face. “We wait for the perfect time.”

”What is that?” Thomas snarled at his business partner, who he was quickly growing tired of. Lucas would be the first to go.

“Phase Two.” Lucas stared down the Congressman, a smile on his face. This, he hoped, would blow up in McIntyres face.


	11. Chapter Ten

Her eyes snapped around the room, and she instantly took stock of where she was. She sat up and began to yank out the IVs, not feeling the pain, or noticing the blood that trickled down her hand.  
  
The concrete floor was cold on her bare feet as she slowly got out of the bed. She paused as one thought kept going through her head: **Get the formula. Stop anyone who gets in your way.**

*******

Steve sat there as he listened to Tony and the rest of the team talked about the next mission. What made him angry, was that they were all discussing involving Clara in the plan.

”Cap?”

He hadn’t noticed the room had gone quiet, until Stark spoke, and he visibly shook the thoughts from his head. “What?”

”I said-you’ve been sitting there quiet, so-what’s your thoughts?”

“It’s a bad idea. We can’t send her into the lions den.”

”I can take care of myself.”

Everyone turned in their seats to see Clara standing in the doorway, a white sling was across her right shoulder. “Clara, no.” Steve shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

”Oh really?” Clara held up her arm, fire in her eyes as she stared him down, and every pair of eyes in that room, were moving back and forth between the two of them. “My Dad is behind this! And I’ll be damned if I sit by and let him hurt anymore because of his greed. I hate him. With every fiber of my being. I hate him for what he’s done and what he’s about to do. So don’t sit there and tell me I’m not capable of doing this. I’ve had him tell me my whole damn life that I’m not good enough. And I’ll be damned if I have to think it.”

”Its suicide.” Steve held his gaze on her, confused to all the anger coming from inside of her. Something was ticking the back of his mind, but Steve just couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

Then it hit him like a slap in the face. She had no emotion what so ever on her face. He couldn’t see that familiar look she had only for him. He quickly stood up from the table, and pushed his chair back. This sudden action made every jump back in their chairs.

”Clara-no-“ Steve watched in horror as she slid her right hand out of the sling and pulled out a hand gun. With a shaking hand, she pointed it at him.

”Give me the key.” Her bottom lip trembled as she kept the gun trained on him. “Give.Me.The.Key.” She gritted her teeth as her finger tightened on the trigger. 

Steve ducked as glass exploded from the window behind him. He looked up to see everyone had their guns trained on Clara. “No...don’t.” Steve slid Stark a look and a second later Stark nodded in agreement. “Here.” He reached to the desk and grabbed the keys. “Clara-honey. Come on. Snap out of this.”

“And the trap is sprung.” Clara snarled as she looked at Bucky. “I know a little secret about you, Winter Solider. _zhelaniye_.”

“No!” Bucky said as he looked at Steve. “Stop her!”

With a growl, Clara threw the chair at Steve while she continued to chant. “ _rzhavyy, Semnadtsat_ ,” she smiled at Bucky as he lunged for her and she grabbed another chair and threw it at him, giving her distance. “ _Rassvet_.”

“Shoot her Steve!” Bucky yelled as he grabbed his head, “she can’t continue.”

Steve looked in horror at Clara, then at Bucky. “No.”

“ _Devyat,dobroserdechnyy,vozvrashcheniye na rodinu.”_

As if a switch had been turned on, Bucky stood up straight, his face void of all emotion. He raised his bionic arm and with a pulse of electricity shot Steve, sending him to the floor. He then turned to the other Avengers, and began to shoot at them, backing away as they all dived for cover. Clara reached down and plucked the key from Steve's hand, no emotion on her face as she looked at his slack face.

*********

_Bucky's Trigger Words In Order_   
_Longing: желание (zhelaniye)_   
_Rusted: ржaвый (rzhavyy)_   
_Seventeen: Семнадцать (Semnadtsat' )_   
_Daybreak: Рассвет (Rassvet)_   
_Furnace: Печь (Pech')_   
_Nine: Девять (Devyat' )_   
_Benign: добросердечный (dobroserdechnyy)_   
_Homecoming: возвращение на родину (vozvrashcheniye na rodin_


End file.
